The recent Littler survey found:
- Most employers are unlikely to mandate vaccinations. Less than 1% are currently mandating vaccination and only 6% plan to do so once vaccines become readily available, while 48% have already decided against a mandate.
- Employee relations primary concern with a mandate: 67% are concerned about a mandate’s impact on employee morale and company culture.
- To encourage vaccinations, 37% of employers plan to offer on-site vaccine administration, 33% are offering paid time off to get and recover from being vaccinated, and 11% are offering cash awards or other monetary benefits.
Of those employers considering a cash incentive, another survey conducted in late January found 24% plan to offer $100 to $500 and 22% plan to offer less than $100. However, it is unclear if large incentives will be allowed by the EEOC. See a previous story regarding HR Policy's request for federal guidance on vaccine incentives.
Takeaway: A significant number of employers are still considering what their vaccine strategy will be, but according to Litter, employers are not hinging their return-to-work plans on vaccination. Most are extending remote work at least into the summer (49%) or allowing employees to work on-site on a voluntary basis (37%).
